We're Always Proving Who We Are...

To update, since it's been awhile, I am back in Victoria for two months of no particular time committments. To take the place of my usual busyness, I have lists of other things to do. We'll see what I actually accomplish.

( Cut for length )

Another post to come, tomorrow perhaps, about the LMDA conference in Banff.

There are certain books that I consider necessary Christmastime reading. I try to get all of them every year, though I don't often succeed, there's so much else that goes on.

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Perennial favourite, a little silly. My dad has a Grinch shirt that he wears all the time at this season. He wore it to a caroling party this year and the 7 or 8 year old son of the hosts started whapping at it. His mother told him that it's not polite to hit guests and he asked if he was permitted to hit a guest's shirt.

Christmas Memories with Recipes
A collection of stories from famous chefs and cooks about their personal food-related holiday traditions. My favourites are Julia Child's Buche de Noel story and Jacques Pepin's, but there are tons more. My mum reads them out loud in the evenings when we have time.

The Thirteen Days of Christmas
Above all the other Christmas stories, this is the one that I have to read every year. It's a simple little book about the events in a small town in England, probably about 1650, though no year is ever given, or needed. In it, a very wealthy young man is courting a young woman who deems him unromantic and unimaginative. He listens to her love of fairy tales and her definition of romance and begins to send her Christmas gifts for each of the 12 days of Christmas, starting with a tame partridge in a miniature pear tree. It is utterly delightful and charming and unfortunately desperately out of print. But if you ever find it, read it. It makes me smile every time.